Greg Topper

Greg Topper, top dog of Orange County's rock oldies scene, is adjusting to life as a free agent, having finally lost his 13-year gig at the Atrium Hotel in Irvine. Topper says it was management's idea to end his long tenure playing three or four nights a week in the hotel's Airporter Club. "The bar was so busy and packed and borderline rowdy that they were getting complaints from their hotel guests," reports the piano-playing worshiper of Little Richard, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Which veteran rock act has played to more people in Orange County than any other? Not Bruce Springsteen. Not Elton John. Not even the Rolling Stones. Try Greg Topper, who spent most of the '70s, '80s and half of the '90s pounding out the hits of Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Fats Domino and other proto-rockers on his piano four and five nights a week in hotels, bars and clubs, earning a reputation as the county's highest-paid nightclub act.

Which veteran rock act has played to more people in Orange County than any other? Not Bruce Springsteen. Not Elton John. Not even the Rolling Stones. Try Greg Topper, who spent most of the '70s, '80s and half of the '90s pounding out the hits of Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Fats Domino and other proto-rockers on his piano four and five nights a week in hotels, bars and clubs, earning a reputation as the county's highest-paid nightclub act.

Greg Topper, top dog of Orange County's rock oldies scene, is adjusting to life as a free agent, having finally lost his 13-year gig at the Atrium Hotel in Irvine. Topper says it was management's idea to end his long tenure playing three or four nights a week in the hotel's Airporter Club. "The bar was so busy and packed and borderline rowdy that they were getting complaints from their hotel guests," reports the piano-playing worshiper of Little Richard, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis.

People hardly ever pay to see Greg Topper play. Record stores don't stock his albums. In fact, Topper says that only once in his 25-year professional career has he heard a song he recorded played on the radio. And yet, the 48-year-old piano pounder can make a solid case for inclusion on the list of Orange County's most successful rock musicians.

More than 25 rock, country, R&B and jazz acts will perform Sunday at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano to benefit the Orange County Musicians Foundation. All proceeds from the nine-hour-plus show--featuring Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers and surf guitar legend Dick Dale, as well as former Desert Rose Band guitarist John Jorgenson--will go into a fund for area musicians with serious to catastrophic medical needs.

Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers, Dick Dale and the Deltones, former Desert Rose Band guitarist John Jorgenson, Don & Dewey and Billy Swan will be among those performing a benefit concert Sept. 13 for the Orange County Musicians Foundation. The concert, from 1 to 7:30 p.m. at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, will feature more than 25 bands.

The place to be tonight, Jan. 9, for hot country guitar picking -- and singing -- is the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills , where British guitar ace Albert Lee is celebrating his 70th birthday with help from a lot of his friends. As one of the most expressive and technically dazzling players of the last 40 years, Lee has collaborated with plenty of country's elite musicians, and for his birthday show the onstage guest list is scheduled to include Emmylou Harris (whose celebrated Hot Band once featured Lee)

People hardly ever pay to see Greg Topper play. Record stores don't stock his albums. In fact, Topper says that only once in his 25-year professional career has he heard a song he recorded played on the radio. And yet, the 48-year-old piano pounder can make a solid case for inclusion on the list of Orange County's most successful rock musicians.

Claw Hammer, a bluesy rock band with Orange County roots, has joined the major-label ranks. Interscope Records has signed the group, which was founded by Jon Wahl and Christopher Bagarozzi in 1986 after Wahl's hitch with the esteemed Pontiac Brothers band from Fullerton. Wahl fronts Claw Hammer with a distinctive, wired yelping vocal delivery and joins Bagarozzi in sizzling interlocking guitar arrangements.

Los Lobos and Jimmie Dale Gilmore are the top names on this year's Taste of Orange County music roster. There's strength elsewhere in the lineup, too, as Taste presents an interesting array of national acts and local performers in jazz, rock, country and R&B. Los Lobos, which headlines at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, has long been one of the most diverse and accomplished bands on the roots-rock scene.